Tag Archives: Christian Nationalism

Nonviolence, Spirituality

Fools for Christ: How to Respond to Un-Christ-Like Leaders 

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The day after every U.S. Presidential Inauguration, Washington National Cathedral (of the Episcopal Church) hosts an interfaith National Prayer Service. Normally, this event does not get a lot of attention. It is a mundane tradition of American civic religion. This year was different, however. 

            Bishop Mariann Budde delivered the homily for the service. In her homily, she took a few moments to remind President Trump of the importance of showing mercy to others, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized in our communities. Trump and his supporters responded to this homily by claiming that Bishop Budde was “politicizing” the faith. Trump specifically called her a “so-called Bishop” and “Radical Left hard line Trump hater”. He also demanded an apology from the bishop and the Episcopal Church. 

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Politics

Christian Nationalism or Mission?

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Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  Acts 1:6-8

Throughout the History of the church there have been times when the church has moved off mission and moved into tyranny.  This has happened when Christians have substituted the Kingdom of God with the Kingdom of humans or fused the two.  Even in the book of Acts, the disciples were yet uncertain how the Kingdom of God was to come when they asked Jesus this question, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

I think it’s hard for humans to grasp that the Kingdom of God is somehow fully other than the nations and reigns of this world.  We have from time to time merged the Kingdom of God with human systems of power. 

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